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Category Archives: Parish Life
Re-post: Confession and General Absolution
(For years, readers have returned to this article again and again in the weeks just before Christmas, which would indicate that the problem it addresses still persists. And now that the Catholic faith and the Church’s sacramental life are being … Continue reading
Posted in Confession, Parish Life, Sacraments
Tagged canon law, Catholic, confession, general absolution, valid
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Which Mass Fulfills My Sunday Obligation?
Q: I am a member of the Maronite [Catholic] Church. I was recently invited to a Latin-rite Mass on a Sunday for the celebration of a number of women religious 50+ years of consecrated life. The Mass took place at … Continue reading
Posted in Holy Mass, Parish Life
Tagged canon law, Catholic, Mass, Sunday, Sunday obligation
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Why Would a Catholic Cleric Desecrate an Altar?
Q: Probably you already know all about the priest in New Orleans who desecrated the altar of his parish together with a couple of prostitutes…. The bishop announced that he had the altar burned and would consecrate a new one. … Continue reading
Posted in Clergy Issues, Crimes and Sanctions, Parish Life
Tagged altar, Bella Dodd, canon law, Catholic, desecrate, infiltrate, infiltration, priest, suspension
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Refusing First Holy Communion to Children Who Are Ill-Prepared
Q: I am a volunteer in our parish’s catechism program, and I help run the First Holy Communion preparation…. As has unfortunately become very common, we get a LOT of uncatechized children and an ever-increasing number of uncatechized parents in … Continue reading
Posted in Parish Life, Rights of the Faithful, Sacraments, The Eucharist
Tagged canon law, Catholic, First Communion, First Holy Communion, properly disposed, sacrament
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When Can a Pastor be Removed From Office?
Q: In this article you mentioned in passing that a bishop can’t remove the pastor of a parish just because the pastor does something the bishop doesn’t like. Can you elaborate? I ask because in Wales a pastor was castigated … Continue reading
Posted in Clergy Issues, Crimes and Sanctions, Parish Life
Tagged canon law, Catholic, ecclesiastical office, parish, parish priest, pastor
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